Fluid elevator



Oct. l, 1929.

l D. B.' DENNIS ET AL FLUID ELEVATOR Filed Aug- 9. 1927 a sheets-sheet 1FLUID nLEvATon- Filed Aug. 9. 192'!v 2 sheets-sheet 2 D. B. DENNIS ET.AL

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Patented Oct. 1, 1929 UNITED sT'r FLUID ELEYATOR i Application filedAugust 9, 1927. Serial No. 211,790. l

AThis invention relates to fluid elevators and has for its principalobject nto, provide a simple, practical, .and efcient constructionadapted to raise oil, water, or other fluidsl from wells.

An additional object is to provide a device of this character which maybe used in either deep or shallow wells, and'embodying a constructionemploying the use of either gas, oil, water or other fluids for Iuse asthe lifting medium. i

Another object is to provide a fluid elevator of the above-mentionedcharacter comprising a fluid elevating apparatus including a lifting 15pipe arranged within a casing in spaced relation thereto and providing apassageway between the same for the lifting fluid, said lifting pipehaving a valve mounted therein and adapted to be unseated by the suctionaction o* of the lifting fluid and employing the suction to further aidin raising the fluidupwardly through said pipe.

Other objects and advantages reside in the special construction,combination and arrangement of the-various elements forming theinvention `as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein: y v

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through lthe well casing andtubing showing my invention arranged in operative position therein Fig.2 is a similar view of the `-valve con- 35 struction.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of the sliding sleeve mechanism designed toadmit the lifting fluid to the pipe for the purpose of unseating thevalve.

o Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along a line 4 4 of Fig.3.

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken along a line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawing wherein for 45 the purposeof illustrationwe have disclosed a preferred embodiment of our inventiemwe provide ausual well casing 5 withinwhich is arranged the tubing section 6, thewalls of the casing and these tubings being disclosed se in spacedrelation.

The lower end of this tubing carries a perforated pipe section 7 adaptedto admity the fluid to be lifted within the same, thdopening in theupper end of said pipe section bein formed into a seat upon which issnugly tte the tapered lower` end 8 of the body portion 9, secured onthe lower end of they lifting pipe 10.

At the tapered end 8 of the body is threadedly attached a perforatedtubular fluid in- @o take pipe section 11 extending downwardly withinthe pipe section 7 the lower end of 'which is provided with a plug 12forming a guide for a valve stem 13 extending longitudinally through thepipe section 11 and having 65 the upper end of said stem formed into aball l 14 for engagement upon a valve seat 15 interposed\between thethreaded connection of the pipe section 11 and the tapered end 8 ofthebody.

' Thel valve stem carries a coiled spring 16 adapted to normallymaintain the ball 14 in v an upward longitudinal pqsition. rlhe lowerend of the stem extends through the plug 12 and threadedlycarries nuts17 adapted to se- 75 cure the stem in adjusted position wherebyto4regulate the openings between the ball and the seat as well'as totensionally adjust the spring 16. c The body 9 immediately above itstapered 80 end 8 is externally vthreaded whereby toreceive a pipesection 18 enclosing the body 9 with the walls thereof, arranged inspaced relation and forming a' passageway 19 therebetween. The upper endof the body 9 thread- 35 edly supports a flowing plug 20 having acentral opening communicating with the interior of the body, the sidesof the plug overlapping the upper end of the `body and having aplurality of vertically extending ducts drilled in 90l the Walls of theplugs, communicating at their lower ends with the passage 1K9, with theupper ends thereof opening into a chamber above the plug with which theopening in the body 9 also. communicates by means of the 95 centralopening 21 in the plug'.

The outer walls of the plug 20 form a tight fit within the ocre of theupper end of the pipe section 18. A collar 23 is snugly .fitted aboutthe pipe section 18 and retained thereon we in any suitable manner to'prevent vertical 'movement with respect thereto, the inner peripheryofthe lower portion of the collar eing reamed out as indicated at 24 toform a spacel passageway between the outer wall of the pipe section 18and the inner wall of the collar, openings 25 being formed in the wallof the' pipe section 18 communicating with said passageway, saidopenings being adapted to be closed by a sleeve 26 interposed betweenthe walls of the pipe section and the collar.

A coiled spring 27 is arranged in the passageway immediately above thissleeve adapted to normally retain the latter downwardly in closedposition with respect to the opening. Pins 28 carried by the collar,engage the lower edge of the sleeve to prevent the same from slidingdownwardly through the flared opening 29 formed at the lower edge of thecol-v lar. A pin 30 carried by the section 18 also engaged a lower edgeof the collar to prevent .f

l any possibility of the same from moving in a charge fluid therefrom inan upper direction,

and in vertical alinement with the opening .21 formed in the fluid plug20.

In the operation of the device, after the casing with the tubing andlifting pipe have been lowered in the well containing the fluid which isto be raised therefrom, the fluid used as the lifting agent, which maybeeither air,

gas, oil. or water, is then forced into the casing between the same andthetubing under' pressure and admitted throughs ports k33 to within thetubing adjacent the lifting pipe.

l The fluid is forced downwardly in the tubing and through the flaredopening 29 in the collar 23 so as to raise the sliding sleeve 26upwardly thereby admitting the fluid into the pipe section 18, throughthe opening 25. The fluid which is to be lifted, entering the lower endof-the lifting pipe through the perforated section 11 is drawn upwardlythrough the body 9 by reason of the suction created by the upwardpassage of the lifting fluid through the ducts 22 of the flowing plugand the opening 32 in the bridge 31.

The lifting fluid and the fluid which is to be lifted thus intermingleabove the flowing plug 20 and together pass upwardly through the liftingpipe 10. Should the pressure exerted upon the lifting fluid be cut oft',the spring 27 will operate to move the sliding sleeve 26 so as to closethe openings 25, thus preventing the lifting fluid from entering thewell casing, and should the flow of the fluid from the well be cut off,the ball valve 14 will l'rol in, a lifting pipe arranged within thetubing and having its lower ends adapted to admit the fluid to belifted, said tubing having openings communicating with the casing, acollarcarried by the lifting pipe having its lower end arranged inspaced relation therefrom, said lifting pipe having a plurality ofopenings arranged therein and communicating with the space formedbetween the collar and the lifting pipe, and a sleeve slidably carriedbetween the collar and the lifting pipe and yieldably retained inposition whereby to close said opening and adapted to be moved ont ofclosing position by the pressure of a lifting fluid admitted within'thetubing from the casing. Y i

2. In combination, a well casing, a tubing arranged therein and havingopenings com-l muncating with the casing, a lifting pipe arranged withinthe tubing, a valved opening carried at the lower end of saidy pipe andadapted to admit the fluid to be lifted to within the pipe, a pipesection carried by the lifting pipe in spaced relation therefrom to forma passage between the walls of the lifting pipe and the pipe section, aplug arranged at t-he upper end. of said passage, a plurality of ductsformed in said plug and communicating with the passage, a bridgeextending transverselybf the ing openings communicating. with thespacedlower end of the collar, a sleeve slidably mounted between thecollar and the section,

means yieldably retaining the sleeve in closed position with respect tosaid opening, and adapted to be moved into open position upon theadmission of fluid under pressure fromv the casing to within the tubing,whereby .to create the suction within the lifting pipe for raising thefluid to be lifted upwardly there- 1n. I ,M

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures. f

CLAUD WILSON. DOUGLASv DENNIS.

lifting pipe near its upper ends, and having a bore formed there-

